Traverse guide



19.52 R. H. CARTER ET AL 2,620,999

TRAVERSE GUIDE Filed Sept. 14, 1949 and Ralph H. Carfer BY fleag M41ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1952 TRAVERSE GUIDE Ralph H. Carter, JohnsonCity, and Chadwick B. Kingsbury, Elizabethton, Tenn., assignors to NorthAmerican Rayon Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of DelawareApplication September 14, 1949, Serial No. 115,708

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in thread traverse guides of thetype used on textile machines and more particularly to a reciproeatingthread guide suitable for use on winding and coning machines and thelike.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a thread traverseguide wherein the thread guide member is able to turn or pivot inslightly frictionally restrained fashion about the traverse bar thatcarries and reciprocates it, so as to float yieldingly against thepackage of thread as it builds up.

Another object is to provide damping means for controlling the pivotalmovement of the guide about the traverse bar so as to avoid backlashbetween the guide and the traverse bar and to prevent radialoscillations of the guide from causing the latter to strike against thethread package.

A further object is to render the thread guide self-threading so thatthe thread, if accidentally or intentionally disengaged from the guidewill be automatically picked up by the guide during its reciprocation,thus avoiding the building up of uneven places on the thread package.

In winding thread or yarn on longitudinal rows of spools or packages inwinding machines and the like, a thread guide constituted as an arm withan eye or the like for holding the thread is provided for eachindividual package or spool and it is customary to reciprocate aconsiderable number of such guides simultaneously by means of a commontraverse bar. For this purpose the individual guide members arepivotally mounted on the traverse bars at spaced intervals correspondingto the location of the spools or packages. The thread guide, as itreciprocates, bears of its own weight against the package or spool andlifts up radially as the size of the package increases. If slubs, knotsor the like occur in the thread that is being wound, the guide, ifloosely pivoted on the traverse bar may lift from the package and thenabruptly drop back thereon. The hammer-like blows produced by suchsudden radial movements or bouncing of the guide member against thepackage prevents the building up of uniformly round, self-supportingyarn packages. Another drawback to prior art methods of mounting theguides pivotally on the traverse bar resides in the backlash or playproducecl between the guide member and the traverse bar, which alsoprevents the formation of uniformly round packages. Although suchbacklash can probably be substantially eliminated by suitable adjustablebearings, such adjustment involves expensive maintenance when greatnumbers of such guides are used.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a simple andefiective means for pivotally mounting a thread guide on a traverse baror a plurality of such guides on a common traverse bar in such fashionas to permit pivotal movement of the guides but yet prevent radialoscillation of the guide and the striking of the latter against thepackage as well as prevent all backlash between the guide and the bar.To this end the guide is provided with support means for mounting thesame on the traverse bar such support including a V-shaped member forresting on said bar in straddle fashion to make tangential contact atplaces of substantial linear extent on the bar and a fiat spring-likemember which engages in a shallow groove in the bar directly beneath theV-shaped member and which serves both to hold the V-shaped member andhence the thread guide frictionally seated on the bar but so that theguide is able to pivot about the latter. The flat spring-like memberswhich engage in the spaced grooves in the traverse bar when a number ofguides are operated by a common traverse bar serve to hold the guides inspaced position thereon and in aligned relation to the packageundergoing winding. The structure is such that the entire thread guidecan be readily snapped into its intended position on the traverse bar aswell as easily removed therefrom by a quick sidewise movement.

In accordance with another feature of the invention, the portion of thethread guide which actually guides the thread into place on the spool ismade self-threading. This portion is constructed as an upstanding fingerslanting out from the horizontal plane of the portion that bears on thepackage and serves to pick up the thread if it has become disengaged andto direct it back to the thread-retaining notch or groove provided inthe guide, during the movement of the latter.

The invention is shown in the drawing, where:

Fig. 1 is a side view, partly in section, showing the thread traverseguide in operating position.

Fig. 2 is a top view of the thread traverse guide.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the front'portion of the thread guide memberper se.

Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the thread guide showing the manner ofmounting the same on the traverse bar. i

Fig. 5 is a side view, in section, on line 5 --5 of 'Fig. 2. H

Fig. 6 is a section through the guide member on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. '7 is a bottom view of the groove of the guide member.

In the drawing the numeral l designates a spool or package on whichthread 2, coming in the direction of the arrow 2| from a source ofsupply, not shown, is being wound. The thread is guided onto the packageby means of the thread guide described generally above. Considered indetail the latter consists of a rod 3, preferably round, having aportion 4 bent off laterally and continuing as a slightly downwardlyslanting strai ht portion 5 extending parallel to but offset withrespect to 3, said portion 5 being return-bent in the opposite directionto form the part 6 that actually bears on the package, the part 6 beingsubstantially parallel with the traverse bar hereinafter described andending in a finger-like portion 1 extending upwardly in slanting fashionfrom the horizontal plane of part 6 the end of the bottom of portion 1being chamfered as at 22. The bottom side of the portions 4, 5 and 6 arepreferably fiat with rounded edges adapted to exert a smoothing actionon the package rather than make linear tangential contact therewith aswould be the case if these parts were cylindrical in cross section.

A notch or groove 8 is provided crosswise of the portion 6 of the guide,said notch having flared openings as shown in Figure '7, facing thepackage I and the oncoming thread.

The above-described guide is mounted on the transverse bar 9 as follows.The round rod-like portion 3 of the guide member is attached to asupport member indicated generally by lil which preferably tapers at thefront as at H where it is shaped to form a short semi-cylindricalhousing l2 for receiving the round portion 3 of the guide, the portion 3being brazed, welded or other wise securely held in the housing. Therear portion of the support IE1 is shaped as shown in Figures 1, 4, and5, the metal thereof being bent into inverted V shape, the sides [3 andM of which make tangential linear contact of substantial length with thetraverse bar 9 as indicated at [5 and [6 in Figure 5. The rear side 14of the V is preferably rounded off and terminates in an upwardlyslanting tailpiece i'a'. Rigidly fastened to the lower side of member H]as by rivets [8 or otherwise is a strip of springy metal IQ ofsuflicient rigidity to force the sides of the inverted V shaped portionin the previously mentioned linear tangential contact fashion againstthe traverse bar 9. The traverse bar is provided with a peripheralgroove 20 at every place that a guide is to be mounted and the strip l9fits accurately in said groove and thus prevents lateral wandering ofthe guide along the bar 9 during the winding operation, the groove 20and the strip 19 therefore also serving as a means for locating thethread guide on the bar.

The structure described permits the threadguide member to turn radiallyabout the bar 9 in frictionally damped fashion. It therefore allows theguide to rise radially as the package builds up but damps the movementof the former and prevents it from pounding or slapping back against thepackage when said guide is suddenly lifted by slubs, knots or the likepresent in the advancing thread. Due to the springy nature of the stripIS, the entire guide member can be instantly snapped off from thetraverse bar 9 by a quick sidewise movement and as rapidly replaced inthe same manner without requiring the dismantling of any bearings forsuch removal of the resetting of any adjustments after it is replaced inposition. All backlash between the bar 9 and the walls [3 and I4 thatrepose in linear tangential fashion on the bar is prevented due to theaccurate fitting of the strip [9 into the groove 20. The tailpiece Hextends rearwardly and upwardly in slanting fashion and the end of thespring strip l9 extends rearwardly and downwardly as shown in Figure 5,leaving a substantially wedge-shaped opening to facilitate snapping theguide on to the bar 9 and for removing it therefrom.

The finger-like outwardly slanting extension 1 at the thread guiding endof the guide serves as an automatic thread pickup if the thread for anyreason becomes unhooked from the guide. This finger picks up the thread,as the guide reciprocates and directs it back into the groove 8. Theunder side of the guide, bearing on the package, is flattened, and theedges are rounded, whereas the under side of the outer end of the fingeris chamfered at 22 as shown in Figure 3. The off-setting of the portion5 of the guide makes it possible to locate the thread groove 8substantially in line with the rear portion 3 of the guide and alsoprevents the thread from rubbing against any portion of the guide exceptthe grooves during normal operation, the thread only contacting brieflywith the under side of the finger I if such thread has been accidentallyunhooked from the groove and is being automatically picked up by saidfinger during the reciprocation of the guide for return to the groove.

What is claimed is:

1. In a thread traverse guide adapted for mounting on a traverse bar ofround cross section and comprising in combination a thread guide and asupport member therefor, said guide comprising a rod portion extendingforwardly and centrally of said support member, said rod portion havinga part forwardly extended but laterally offset therefrom and terminatingin a thread package contacting part substantially parallel to saidtraverse bar, said contacting part having a thread guiding groove on itsthread package contacting side located substantially along a line drawnas an extension of said rod portion, and terminating in an upwardly andouitwardly extending end with respect to the package, and adapted toengage thread disengaged from said groove and to direct it back intosaid groove during the reciprocation of said guide, said support portionhaving a channel adapted to straddle said traverse bar along atangential line of appreciable extent parallel to sa d bar, a resilientmember extending across said channel and carried by said supportportionand bearing against said bar thereby permlttmg frictionallydamped pivoting of said guide about said bar.

2. In a thread traverse guide adapted for mounting on a peripherallygrooved traverse bar of round cross section and comprising incombination a thread guide and a support member therefor, said guidecomprising a rod member extending forwardly and centrally of saidsupport member, said rod portion having a portion forwardly extended butlaterally offset therefrom and terminating in a thread packagecontacting part substantially parallel to said traverse bar, saidcontact part having a thread guiding groove on its thread contactingside located substan tially along a line drawn as an extension of saidrod portion and terminating in an upwardly and outwardly extending endwith respect to the package, and adapted to engage thread disengagedfrom said groove and to direct it back into said groove during thereciprocation 01 said guide, said support member comprising a flatportion having an inverted V-shaped channel the internal sides of saidV-shaped channel reposing against said traverse bar at two oppositeplaces on the latter along tangential lines of appreciable extentparallel to said bar, a resilient member carried by said support memberextending across said channel and engaging against said bar toyieldingly hold said bar in said channel, thereby permittingfrictionally damped pivoting of said guide about said bar.

3. A thread traverse guide adapted for mounting on and for frictionallydamped pivotal movement about a traverse bar of round cross sectioncomprising a thread-guide holding portion having a pair of angularlyarranged sides adapted to straddle over and contact tangentially withsaid bar, a member carried by said holding portion and extending acrossthe channel formed by said angularly arranged sides and in such spacedrelation to said channel as to bear against said traverse bar to confinesaid bar within said channel in frictionally damped pivotal fashion whensaid guide is mounted on said bar.

4. A thread traverse guide adapted for mounting on and for frictionallydamped pivotal movement about a traverse bar of round cross sectioncomprising a thread-guide holding portion having a channel ofsubstantially v shape adapted to straddle over said bar, the insidewalls of said channel contacting tangentially with said bar at twoplaces on the latter along lines of appreciable extent parallel to saidbar, a resilient member carried by said holding portion and extendingacross said channel in spaced relation to said channel and bearingtangentially against said traverse bar to confine said bar within saidchannel in frictionally damped pivotal fashion when said guide ismounted on said bar, the resilience of said resilient member being suchas to yield sufficiently and permit said traverse guide to be snappedinto place on and removed from said traverse bar.

5. A thread traverse guide adapted for mounting on and for frictionallydamped pivotal movement about a peripherally grooved traverse bar ofround cross section comprising a threadguide holding portion having achannel of substantially V-shaped configuration adapted to straddle oversaid bar, the inside walls of said channel contacting tangentially withthe nongrooved portions of said bar at two places on the latter alonglines of appreciable extent parallel to said bar, a resilient membercarried by said holding portion and extending across said channel inspaced relation to said channel and having a portion fitting in saidperipheral groove of said traverse bar and bearing tangentially againstsaid bar to confine said bar within said channel and to preventlongitudinal shifting of said guide along said bar while permittingfrictionally damped pivotal movement of said uide about said bar, theresiliency of said resilient member being such as to yield suificientlyto permit said traverse guide to be snapped into place on and removedfrom said traverse bar.

RALPH H. CARTER. CHADWICK B. KINGSBURY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 110,535 Altemus Dec. 27, 1870801,476 Pierce Oct. 10, 1905 1,049,798 Babcock et al. Jan. 7, 19131,134,336 Haughton Apr. 6, 1915 1,503,713 Sanders Aug. 5, 1924 1,966,500Havey July 17, 1934 2,052,226 Holley et a1 Aug. 25, 1936 2,081,548McHale May 25, 1937 2,152,136 Cass Mar. 28, 1939 2,307,664 BrookshireJan. 5, 1943 2,370,731 Jackson Mar. 6, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 616,106 France Oct. 25, 1926

